THE VALLEY
The Valley of Hamilton is part of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Established in 1868, we are the oldest Valley and the home of the Supreme Council, the administrative body of Scottish Rite Freemasonry in Canada. Master Masons seeking more light, and a greater understanding of the tenets and principles of Craft Freemasonry, are encouraged to explore the higher degrees of the Scottish Rite.
Our Valley meetings are held at the Scottish Rite Temple, also known as Towers, at Queen Street South, and is comprised of:
Murton Lodge of Perfection
Hamilton Sovereign Chapter of Rose Croix
Moore Sovereign Consistory
OUR HISTORY
The history of Freemasonry in Canada dates back to the late 1700’s with the first lodges being warranted in 1792. The Scottish Rite in Canada was officially formed in 1868 and today there are approximately 10 ,000 Scottish Rite Freemasons in 45 Valleys across Canada.
The Hamilton Valley was the first valley established in Canada. It began meeting in 1868 under the authority of the Supreme Council of England and Wales, prior to Canada having its own Supreme Council.
Being the government seat of Supreme Council, the Hamilton Valley is the first valley in our Jurisdiction and is considered the Grand Orient.
TOWERS
The property now occupied by The Scottish Rite Club of Hamilton was acquired by James Mills in 1816. The frame farmhouse originally built by the Mills family in 1820 was replaced by a brick home in 1835 known as “The Homestead.”. The Homestead stood exactly where the Cathedral portion of The Scottish Rite building now stands.
In 1884, the property was acquired by George E. Tuckett of the Tuckett Tobacco Company. Tuckett built his home, known as “Myrtle Hall”, where the Grand Lodge building now stands. Myrtle Hall survived until the late 1950s, when it was demolished to make way for the current structure. In 1895, George T. Tuckett, the son of George E. Tuckett, built his own family home. Known as “The Towers,” it was designed by Hamilton architect James Balfour. The Towers now forms the Club portion of The Scottish Rite building.
In 1920 a group of Scottish Rite leader in Hamilton purchased the property with plans to renovate and expand the existing structure. The Cathedral, considered to be one of the best of its type in North America with a stunning Casavant Frères pipe organ, was opened and dedicated on May 7th, 1923. The organ has more than 3,000 pipes and has been in the building since it was built. Then there’s the amazing decor. The building has more than 55 antique, hand painted backdrops and a regal one hundred foot long aisle.
The Scottish Rite Club
The Scottish Rite Club of Hamilton was chartered by the Government of Ontario and Supreme Council in 1924 to act as the social arm of Scottish Rite Masonry in the Valley of Hamilton.
The primary function of the Club is to accommodate members of the Scottish Rite and concordant bodies while providing social functions throughout the year for Club members and Masons in the Hamilton area.
Hamilton Valley Executive Committee (HVEC)
The Hamilton Valley Executive Committee is the administrative body that brings the individual parts of the Valley together with a common purpose. HVEC is composed of representatives from the Lodge of Perfection, Chapter of Rose Croix, Consistory, Towers, and the Hamilton Scottish Rite Club. The Active Members of Supreme Council and Committee Chairman representing Masonic Activities, The Work, Education, Communication, and Membership round out the working committee.
The Scottish Rite
Learning Centre of Hamilton
The Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation Learning Centre for Hamilton is part of a national program of nine learning centres supported by the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation of Canada.
The Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation Learning Centre for Hamilton was incorporated on June 30, 2016 and officially opened in September 2018 to give children with dyslexia the life-long gifts of reading and spelling.
The Learning Centre has received generous support from the bodies of the Scottish Rite, Masonic Lodges, Eastern Star Chapters, corporations and individuals. The Learning Centre for Hamilton is totally dependent on donations to continue providing tutoring at no cost to the child or the family.
Visit the Learning Centre website at https://dyslexiacentrehamilton.com/